One of the best ways to exercise your dog without having to exert a lot of energy yourself (if that’s your preference) is to take it somewhere it can have new experiences and overwhelm it with awesome smells, sounds, and things to explore in its environment.

My dog Keeda loves to explore new places and smells. The local bushland is one of her favorite spots to visit as there is always something new to discover, some new animal to smell. When Keeda and I go to the nearby bushland (we’re lucky to have it so close to a populated suburb!), she doesn’t stop. She trots around, sprints, jumps over logs, ruffles through the bushes, chases birds. I can stroll through the park and relax for hours on end while she exercises herself!

Or local neighborhood park is another story. It’s a big, mowed stretch of lawn with a lake in the middle and sure, it’s nice – but to Keeda, very familiar. Sure, she still likes to sniff around, but there isn’t that sense of everything being new and exciting to her. When she sniffs, she walks. She doesn’t run around from tree to tree, wanting to catch every sight and scent of it all. If I want her to get some vigorous exercise at the park I need to run around with her, throw sticks for her, get her to jump in the lake, etc.

If you’re not the type to want to do this daily, find a place for your dog to explore. Make it a goal to visit a new place where your dog can run around every weekend. Keeda and I go for walks or runs at the neighborhood park every day, but on the weekends you’ll find me leisurly strolling along through the bushland for a few hours with Keeda darting back and forth like a dog gone wild. By the time we get home she’s ready to sleep for the rest of the day.

One of the best exercises for your dog is new experiences.